O P I N I O N

THE SOAPBOX

Stand up. Speak up. Its your turn.

This past election cycle, Mayor Ruais promised a different approach to the homelessness crisis. Unfortunately, he seems poised to repeat some of the immoral and ineffective policies of past administrations.

His campaign website emphasizes “enforcement of ordinances,” and his newly appointed Chairman of the Board of Alderman, Joseph Kelly Levasseur, has proposed ordinance changes that would criminalize living in tents and other acts of survival, all while repeatedly referring to homeless individuals as “vagrants.”

This approach is cruel and dishonest. Over-policing homeless individuals robs them of their dignity, puts them in conflict with law enforcement, and separates them from items that provide safety from the elements. It is based on the incorrect assumption that most homeless people are either criminals or layabouts who could quickly find housing and stability if they gave half an effort. There is also the issue of human liberty – the freedom to move and exist in public spaces is fundamental to a democratic society and protected by the constitution.

Moreover, criminalization just doesn’t work. Issuing citations for minor infractions like putting up a tent or jaywalking adds further stress to the lives of homeless individuals and can hamper the pursuit of housing and jobs. These policies worsen homelessness, distract police from real threats to public safety, and are darned expensive for taxpayers. According to the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, “chronic homelessness, due in part to its criminalization, costs the public between $30,000 and $50,000 per person every year,” whereas an expansive Los Angeles study “found that [providing] housing reduced average monthly spending by 41% per person, even after including the cost of providing housing.”

By increasing the supply of housing, Manchester can alleviate human suffering and create a better city for a fraction of the cost of criminalization. This can be done by removing barriers to construction, legalizing different types of housing (such as larger buildings and in-law apartments), and also through subsidizing transitional housing units for homeless individuals. These efforts will take time, and the latter option will cost money, but we will be more than paid back in the form of a thriving city.Manchester has two paths available: harming its most vulnerable residents in an immoral, costly, and counterproductive way that will likely push more of them into crime and drugs, or expanding the supply of low-cost and transitional housing options, making the city a better place for all.

Which one will Jay Ruais choose?

Read More ⇒ Fact Sheet: The Top Five Ways Criminalization of Homelessness Harms Communities

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